Supplemental Chapter G

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Supplemental Chapter G

• Information Technology Software Applications

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Objectives

• Explain the concepts behind computer
  instructions.
• Describe the generations of programming
  languages.
• Identify different types of computer software.
• Describe application software commonly used by
  individuals and organizations.
• Develop a strategy for keeping current with
  software developments.

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The Need To Become Familiar With Software Tools

• Advances in the capability and performance of
  hardware technology are typically well ahead of
  software technology.
• Both hardware and software advancements take an
  extended period of time, but software is
  developed using existing hardware at the time the
  software project begins.
• As the software is being developed, additional
  advancements are made in hardware technology.
• Thus, there is a constant gap between what the
  hardware technology could do, and what it can do
  because software products take additional time to
  fully utilize hardware potential.

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Software Component of Technology

• Business solution developers should focus on the
  software component of technology for several
  reasons
• Software enables an organization to obtain the
  true potential of applying information
  technology.
• Software enables accounting professionals to
  enhance their personal productivity.
• An organization's information system is
  characterized more by software than the hardware
  components used to execute user instructions.

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The Value Of Software

• The value of computer software lies in its
  ability to help the organization do something
  better, such as improve managements decisions,
  efficiently provide goods and services to
  customers, or improve the effectiveness and
  efficiency of decisions, operations, and
  information processes.
• Merely having more information does management
  little good if it does not improve their
  decisions.

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Software Contributions to Valid Solutions

• By improving organization workflows.
• By providing real-time, useful information.
• By improving organizational and individual
  capacity to identify and control (in real-time)
  business and information risks.
• By achieving organization strategy.

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Instructing The Computer

• Instructing a computer involves learning and
  using a language the computer understands.
• However, unlike human languages, there have
  traditionally been only two things the computer
  understands
• the presence of an electrical impulse and
• the absence of an electrical impulse.
• This two-state environment is called machine
  language and is often represented by 1s and 0s.
  All computer instructions and data for input,
  storage, and processing must be represented by a
  series of 1s and 0s before the computer can
  process them.
• These two states could change to four states in
  new computers. New technological advances could
  enable machines to store four electrical states
  rather than on/off.

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Assembler Level Program Code
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Categories of Software

• Programming languages
• Operating systems
• Communications software
• Application software

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Programming Languages

• First Generation Programming Languages
• Despite the variety in programming languages, the
  computer only understands machine language.
• Machine language is another name for binary code.
• Second Generation Programming Languages
• Second generation programming languages, called
  assembly languages, represent the first effort to
  develop a more human-like language to communicate
  with the computer.

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Programming Languages

• Third Generation Programming Languages
• Third generation programming languages moved
  toward the development of procedure-oriented
  languages.
• As the name implies procedure-oriented languages
  describe processing procedures to be performed by
  the computer using English-like vocabulary.
• Unlike assembly language, procedure-oriented
  languages are machine independent meaning it is
  possible to translate them into machine code to
  run on many different types of computers.

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Programming Languages

• Fourth Generation Programming Languages
• Fourth generation programming languages
  concentrate on delivering a complete application
  development environment to the non-technical
  user.
• Attempts at providing an integrated development
  tool have resulted in mixed success. Many 4th
  generation languages are still very complicated
  and are time-consuming and challenging to learn
  and use.

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Programming Languages

• Fifth Generation Programming Languages
• Many people characterize programming languages
  that concentrate on embedding intelligence in
  computer applications as 5th generation
  languages.
• The goal of intelligent software is to create
  software that performs tasks normally considered
  to require human intelligence.
• Intelligent software is commonly affiliated with
  an area of research called artificial
  intelligence. Artificial intelligence
  applications exhibit human intelligence and
  behaviors (e.g., robotics, neural nets, voice
  recognition, expert systems, and natural and
  foreign language processing).
• Ultimately, some developers hope to give
  computers the ability to learn or adapt through
  experience, much like human experts who acquire
  expertise over time and experiences.

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Translating Computer Languages

• The translation process begins with source code,
  the instructions written by the programmer using
  something other than machine language.
  Translation software converts source code into
  machine language, called object code. Finally,
  the computer executes the object code.
• There are three basic types of computer language
  translators assemblers, compilers, and
  interpreters.
• An assembler translates assembly language into
  machine language.
• Compilers translate an entire program prior to
  the computer processing any portion of it.
• Interpreters translate and execute program code
  line by line.

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Translating Computer Languages
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Operating System Software

• An operating system (or system software), is the
  set of computer programs that manage basic
  computer operations by coordinating and
  commanding the hardware components.
• More specifically, the operating system performs
  tasks such as controlling execution of program
  instructions by the CPU, managing data storage in
  both memory and secondary storage devices, and
  managing communication between the CPU, its
  peripherals, and other computers.
• In addition to managing the hardware operations
  as data is processed and moved, operating system
  software also talks to a second category of
  software, application software.

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Communications Software

• The merger of telecommunication and computer
  technologies is one of the most important
  developments in information technology. This
  convergence has resulted in a variety of
  connectivity software
• PC to PC software allows two personal computers
  to share data, pass messages, or share resources
  such as a hard disk or printer.
• Local area network (LAN) software connects
  several personal computers located in a close
  proximity to one another and coordinates their
  interaction.
• PC to host software allows a personal computer to
  interact with a large host computer.
• Wide area network (WAN) software allows computers
  to interact across a wide geographic area.
• Client/server software enables the client/server
  communication model.
• Web/Internet software enables users to navigate
  the Internet, develop web sites, and participate
  in web based computing.

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Application Software

• Application software includes the vast variety of
  programs written to process user requests to
  enter, update, store, query, or report
  information.
• Application software is available for many
  different tasks such as creating charts, managing
  enormous stores of data, speaking, creating
  simulations of buildings and products, and even
  managing building security and heating.
• Increasingly, application software, like
  operating system software, is moving from
  character-based user interfaces (CUI) to
  graphical user interfaces (GUI). A computers
  user interface defines how the user interacts
  with the computer (e.g., menus, screens,
  keyboard, and helps).

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Sample Personal Productivity Tools

• The workplace is becoming automated as
  organizations integrate information functions
  using such tools and techniques as
  teleconferencing, electronic mail, word
  processing, databases, graphics, and
  spreadsheets.
• More and more, employers expect new hires to be
  comfortable with (and have the ability to quickly
  learn) the features available in personal
  productivity tools such as spreadsheets, web
  browsers, database management systems (DBMS),
  word processors, graphics packages, and
  presentation tools.
• Familiarity with other tools such as
  documentation tools (flowcharting and data flow
  diagram tools), tax packages, accounting and
  auditing references, decision support tools, and
  statistical packages enhances your value as a
  professional.

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DBMS Based Applications
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Telephone Number Table
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Sales / Accounts Receivable Tables
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Object Technology

• OOP - Object Oriented Programming
• OODB - Object Oriented Data Bases
• Examine a problem by modeling it as a group of
  interacting objects
• An object is defined by its class, data
  elements, and behavior
• e.g... in an order-entry system -
• invoice is a class, individual invoices are
  objects
• behavior examples include printing, viewing,
  totaling
• objects inherit behaviors and combine it with
  their own data elements

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Advantages of Object Oriented Technology

• Facilitates semantic (real world) modeling
• Objects are defined by what they do as much as
  what they are
• Can accommodate complex data types and
  cooperative transactions
• Can handle real world relationships (e.g.
  Part-Of Owns Lives-In)
• Objects can be grouped into classes or subclasses
• Active data possible (via message, data can
  self-activate actions)
• Can store data with its behavior

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Future Directions For Software

• The need for tools and methods that enable more
  rapid, efficient application development.
• The shift from a department processing and data
  storage model to an enterprise perspective.
• The desire to allow computer users (clients) to
  control processes rather than having processes
  control the user.
• The need for improved user interfaces and
  communication of a variety of data forms.
• The need to facilitate communications globally
  and throughout cyberspace.

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How To Take Advantage Of Information Technology
Today

• Read and/or watch IT programs and videos
• Physically or electronically attend technology
  demonstrations, workshops, and conferences
• Use the technology